The result? Babies that were left to cry it out a few times had shorter crying duration at 18 months.

For a behavioral development assessment, a psychologist observed play with the mother and a parent-report questionnaire was analyzed at 18 months.

The findings revealed that two-thirds of moms parent intuitively, learning from their infants' ability to calm themselves, so babies can learn self-regulation. Making distinctions with different kinds of crying can allow babies to learn how to self-regulate during daytime and nighttime, the researchers said.

"We have to give more credit to parents and babies," said lead author Dieter Wolke, a professor of developmental psychology.

"Most parents intuitively adapt over time and are attuned to their baby's needs, wait a bit before intervening when crying, and allow their babies the opportunity to learn to self-regulate," he said in a university news release. "Most babies develop well despite their parents intervening immediately or not to crying."

The study was published recently in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.